Self Evaluation

1) What score do you think you deserve?
 I think I deserve 1 point. I include 5 elements of classical argument but I need more research that can strongly support my argument.

 2) What did you do well?
I think I used visual resources effectively. Graphs I showed can help readers understanding.

 3) What could you have done better?
 I could have used more researches that I found to support my argument. I missed a lot of meaningful researches.

 4) Which part of the classical argument did you use the best?
 I think my narration can help people to get background knowledge that is useful for people to understand my argument.

 5) Which part of the classical argument did you use the most poorly?
My refutation is very weak. It was hard to find opponent’s argument. I think my refutation is unrelated to my argument.

 6) What's your strategy to make your second draft better?
 I think I need to find opponent’s idea. It is the best way to improve my refutation. I have a lot of research for confirmation. So, what I need to do for my confirmation is organizing all the researches and making them strong support of my argument.

First draft

First draft

 "The media is the most powerful entity on the earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses." Malcolm X said this. In this quotation, we can realize that media have profound impact on human society. In daily life, we usually say "In the television he said that....","I bought this because the advertisement is so fascinating." Media is nearly unavoidable in today's society. However, people don't realize great impact of media to them. They thoughtlessly accept information come from media. It is big problem because in media, there are many incorrect information and exaggerated advertisement. People easily believe media because they think information come from media is credible and they are mostly conventional wisdom. Therefore, people should have critical eyes when they accept media.  

  Media's influence on human is increasing. I can prove it by using the graph above. 














 
  The advertising expenditures of Canada increase from 1995 to 2002. This means that advertisement have great impact on people to make them buy the product. Because the company will not spend millions of dollars per year on advertising if it doesn't work. It shows how much people are influenced by media when they make a decision(such as purchasing decision). However, people don't realize that they are strongly manipulated by media. This research proves people's unawareness of influence of media on human. 

















  This is big problem. Because of unawareness of media's great influence on human, people easily accept incorrect information and follow majority's opinion made by media. Opinion made by media can't be always true. In 1951, Solomon Eliot Asch conducted one study. The study showed that about one third of the participants conformed to the opinion of majority with no pressure to conform. Also, 75% of the participants gave an incorrect answer to at least one question, often matching the incorrect response of the majority. This phenomenon can also happen when people accept media. People tend to accept media easily because they think opinion comes from media is majority's opinion. This can be big problem. So we should have critical eyes when we accept media.     To support my argument, I will give some evidences that prove media's problem.

  First, there are many incorrect information in media. However, people easily believe that incorrect contents because of characteristics of media. Information in media are usually provided by experts or celebrities. So,  it looks credible seemingly. But, have you met them and had a conversation? How do you know they are trustworthy? Why should you believe anything they say? Information provided by them can also incorrect. Also, media repeat and repeat the information. Although people already know the messages are not true, repeated exposure over time to similar messages can make it easy for people to accept the messages as true. According to the research, media in the US and most European countries usually contain 25 percent truths and 75 percent distorted lies and information. People need to aware of how the media deceive people by using "magic tricks."

  

  Second, uncritical acceptance of media causes collapse of tradition. I will show you one example. The American drama changed the traditional values of Fiji women because they accepted American drama uncritically. Traditionally, Fiji women thought that chubby woman is beautiful. However, after introducing American drama, they preferred thin western body type and started to think themselves as fat. Because the popular media has increasingly showed thinner and thinner body as ideal women. Consequently, women in Fiji lost their own culture because of uncritical attitude toward the media. People should accept media critically if they don't want to loose their own tradition.

  Third, there are many exaggerations in the media. Contents of media are usually exaggerated in order to grab people's attention because people tend to respond to sensational things. Also, there are many exaggerated advertisements that attract people to buy the product. Choudry is convinced that the media often misleads its consumers by using dramatization. Media's main purpose is to quickly grab people's attention. Choudry said "Even though misleading and melodramatic way of presenting data hurt the consumer, they want to do what will benefit them. I will give example of exaggerated data presenting. In 2007 the "Independent newspaper printed a front page headline starting that the illegal drug cannabis had increased in strength by 25 times over the previous 10 years. However, the laboratory of Government Chemist and the Forensic Science Service publish data. The data shows that the proportion of active ingredient had increased from 6% to 12% over 10 years. That's not 25 times higher, only two times. From this example, we can recognize the exaggeration of media.
 These three evidence prove how dangerous media is. So we should have critical eyes when we accept media.
  

  Some people say that media do not affect them that much so they don't need to have critical eyes. They think media have no influence on their purchasing decisions. According to the poll from Gallup, only 5 percent of  Americans said social media has a great deal of influence on what they buy. 62 percent of people said social media had no influence on their buying decisions.  

  However, media has great influence on their purchasing decisions. They just don't realize great impact of media on them. Advertisements in print or on the internet, television tell us what services and products are good. People are easily exposed to these advertisements and seeing thousands of fascinating and persuasive advertising messages. It is natural that we make decision to buy something based on what we saw in newspaper and magazine. People tend to buy what they see on television or in the newspaper. Also, they buy good that media tell them are acceptable to society . They are truly influenced by media even though they do not notice it. So they should have critical eyes when they accept media because advertisements in media only show good points of products of services.
   Also, some people believe they are not affected by media because they think media is too unrealistic and exaggerated to believe. However, media deceive people by repeating messages and using experts or celebrities to convey their messages. So, people are unintentionally cheated by magic of media. To avoid this, people should always accept media critically.  
  

  To conclude, people should have critical eyes when they accept media has great impact on human behavior and decision.Media is unavoidable in today's society.  However, true object of media turned into a way of getting money. People make contents of media started to make sensational and exaggerated contents in order to grab people's attention effectively. So, exaggerated and wrong contents often deceive people by making them believe incorrect information. This problem is very significant because it can cause social chaos. To solve this problem, we should have critical eyes toward media. If we accept media critically, we can not be deceived by exaggerated advertisements or wrong information. Unless you want to be a slave of media, you should accept media critically.    

week 10 - conclusion

My Conclusion1

 To conclude, people should have critical eyes when they accept media because people can be easily influenced by media. Media is unavoidable in today's society.  However, true object of media turned into a way of getting money. People make contents of media started to make sensational and exaggerated wrong contents in order to grab people's attention effectively. So, exaggerated and wrong contents often deceive people by making them believe incorrect information. This problem is very significant because it can cause social chaos. To solve this problem, we should have critical eyes toward media. If we accept media critically, we can not be deceived by exaggerated advertisements or wrong information. You don't want to be a slave of media? 

My conclusion2

 To conclude, people should have critical eyes when they accept media has great impact on human behavior and decision.Media is unavoidable in today's society.  However, true object of media turned into a way of getting money. People make contents of media started to make sensational and exaggerated contents in order to grab people's attention effectively. So, exaggerated and wrong contents often deceive people by making them believe incorrect information. This problem is very significant because it can cause social chaos. To solve this problem, we should have critical eyes toward media. If we accept media critically, we can not be deceived by exaggerated advertisements or wrong information. Unless you want to be a slave of media, you should accept media critically.    

week 9- refutation and concession

1. What is my thesis?

People should have critical eyes when they accept media. 

2. What is the opposite position?

It's not essential  to have critical eyes because media does not influence human decision,

  

3. What arguments can I anticipate?

a) People are not affected by media when they make a decision to buy something. b) People are not influenced by media that much because people know media is unrealistic and exaggerated.

4. How will I counter those arguments?

a) Although people don't realize great impact of media on their purchasing decision, people are strongly influenced by media before they are aware of it.  b) People think they don't believe media because media is unrealistic and exaggerated but characteristics of media make them believe media. 

My Refutation and Concession

Some people say that media do not affect them that much so they don't need to have critical eyes. They think media have no influence on their purchasing decisions. According to the poll from Gallup, only 5 percent of  Americans said social media has a great deal of influence on what they buy. 62 percent of people said social media had no influence on their buying decisions.  

 However, media has great influence on their purchasing decisions. They just don't realize great impact of media on them. Advertisements in print or on the internet, television tell us what services and products are good. People are easily exposed to these advertisements and seeing thousands of fascinating and persuasive advertising messages. It is natural that we make decision to buy something based on what we saw in newspaper and magazine. People tend to buy what they see on television or in the newspaper. Also, they buy good that media tell them are acceptable to society . They are truly influenced by media even though they do not notice it. So they should have critical eyes when they accept media because advertisements in media only show good points of products of services. 

 Also, some people believe they are not affected by media because they think media is too unrealistic and exaggerated to believe. However, media deceive people by repeating messages and using experts or celebrities to convey their messages. So, people are unintentionally cheated by magic of media. To avoid this, people should always accept media critically.    

week 8- The confirmation

1. What is my thesis?
People should have critical eyes when they accept media.

2. What types of source am I using to defend my thesis? 
I am using expert opinions, an example about Fiji women. 

3. Are my arguments mostly based on evidence, logic or emotion?
The evidences of my argument can be found in daily life. So I think it can be logical. Also, I have great example of negative influence of media.  

My Confirmation

To support my argument, I will give some evidences that prove media's problem.

First, there are many incorrect information in media. However, people easily believe that incorrect contents because of characteristics of media. Information in media are usually provided by experts or celebrities. So,  it looks credible seemingly. But, have you met them and had a conversation? How do you know they are trustworthy? Why should you believe anything they say? Information provided by them can also incorrect. Also, media repeat and repeat the information. Although people already know the messages are not true, repeated exposure over time to similar messages can make it easy for people to accept the messages as true. According to the research, media in the US and most European countries usually contain 25 percent truths and 75 percent distorted lies and information. People need to aware of how the media deceive people by using "magic tricks."

Second, uncritical acceptance of media causes collapse of tradition. I will show you one example. The American drama changed the traditional values of Fiji women because they accepted American drama uncritically. Traditionally, Fiji women thought that chubby woman is beautiful. However, after introducing American drama, they preferred thin western body type and started to think themselves as fat. Because the popular media has increasingly showed thinner and thinner body as ideal women. Consequently, women in Fiji lost their own culture because of uncritical attitude toward the media. People should accept media critically if they don't want to loose their own tradition.

Third, there are many exaggerations in the media. Contents of media are usually exaggerated in order to grab people's attention because people tend to respond to sensational things. Also, there are many exaggerated advertisements that attract people to buy the product. Choudry is convinced that the media often misleads its consumers by using dramatization. Media's main purpose is to quickly grab people's attention. Choudry said "Even though misleading and melodramatic way of presenting data hurt the consumer, they want to do what will benefit them. I will give example of exaggerated data presenting. In 2007 the "Independent newspaper printed a front page headline starting that the illegal drug cannabis had increased in strength by 25 times over the previous 10 years. However, the laboratory of Government Chemist and the Forensic Science Service publish data. The data shows that the proportion of active ingredient had increased from 6% to 12% over 10 years. That's not 25 times higher, only two times. From this example, we can recognize the exaggeration of media.

 These three evidence prove how dangerous media is. So we should have critical eyes when we accept media.

week 7 -The narration

My persuasive argument thesis is:  People should accept media critically. 

1. What do people already know about my topic?

 Many people already know that media is very beneficial. It's how we stay informed with what is going on in our society. They also know that media have great influence on people's behavior and their decisions. 

2. What research has already been done about my topic?

http://www.decision-making-confidence.com/media-influence-our-decisions.html-How The Media Influence Our Decisions

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11013-004-1067-5#page-1

-Media's great influence on human 

http://negativemedia1.blogspot.kr/

-misleading, deceiving media, bias in media

3. What are the implications of my argument (What if I'm right? What if I'm right and people ignore me?)

People should have more critical eyes when they accept media. Although people know media have great impact on their behavior and decision, they are easily affected by media because of media's characteristics. Media make people believe something and make them to decide something. So If people don't accept media critically, they can be slaves of media. 

My Narration

  Media's influence on human is increasing. I can prove it by using the graph above. 

The advertising expenditures of Canada increase from 1995 to 2002. This means that advertisement have great impact on people to make them buy the product. Because the company will not spend millions of dollars per year on advertising if it doesn't work. It shows how much people are influenced by media when they make a decision(such as purchasing decision). However, people don't realize that they are strongly manipulated by media. This research proves people's unawareness of influence of media on human. 

This is big problem. Because of unawareness of media's great influence on human, people easily accept incorrect information and follow majority's opinion made by media. Opinion made by media can't be always true. In 1951, Solomon Eliot Asch conducted one study. The study showed that about one third of the participants conformed to the opinion of majority with no pressure to conform. Also, 75% of the participants gave an incorrect answer to at least one question, often matching the incorrect response of the majority. This phenomenon can also happen when people accept media. People tend to accept media easily because they think opinion comes from media is majority's opinion. This can be big problem. So we should have critical eyes when we accept media. 

week 6 -The Introduction

 "The media is the most powerful entity on the earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses." Malcolm X said this. In this quotation, we can realize that media have profound impact on human society. In daily life, we usually say "In the television he said that....","I bought this because the advertisement is so fascinating." Media is nearly unavoidable in today's society. However, people don't realize great impact of media to them. They thoughtlessly accept information come from media. It is big problem because in media, there are many incorrect information and exaggerated advertisement. People easily believe media because they think information come from media is credible and they are mostly conventional wisdom. Therefore, people should have critical eyes when they accept media.  

1. Attention grabber -
 I attracted the audience by using quotation and describing a familiar situation to them, conversation that we commonly have. Then I pointed out how much media influence our lives.

2. Explains the topic -
 Because impact of media is so prevalent in today's society, people don't realize that they are influenced by media. It is big problem because in media, there are many incorrect information and exaggerated advertisement. People easily believe media because they think information come from media is credible and they are mostly conventional wisdom.

3. My thesis -
 My thesis is, "People should accept media critically"

research 4

RESEARCH 4

Source: 
http://negativemedia1.blogspot.kr/
-Misleading / Deceiving Media

My Topic:

People have to accept media critically.

What I hope to learn from this source:

 I hope to find the example of exaggerated dramatization of media. Also, I want to find the fact that media tend to idealize or exaggerate something to grab people's attention. 

  

Notes:

1.  Choudry is convinced that the media often deceives its consumer by dramatization.

2.  People who provide contents of media tend to do what will benefit them and they do that by grabbing people's attention through a “wow” factor.

3. Example of wrong Wow factor

Final Thoughts:

 Media tend to exaggerate and dramatize coverage or advertisement to grab people's attention. The most important thing for media is that a lot of people watching media. Therefore, they make more sensational contents by using  exaggerated and false information.   

research 5

RESEARCH 5

Source: 
http://negativemedia1.blogspot.kr/
-Bias in the media

My Topic:

People have to accept media critically.

What I hope to learn from this source:

 I want to learn not all the information covered by media is correct. Information may contain bias of reporters.  

  

Notes:

1. Bias by omission: Leaving only one side out of an article and ignoring facts that can disprove certain claims. 

2. Bias by selection of sources:  Including more sources that can support one view over another view.   

3. Bias by placement: Placing the article that supports one view in the head of newspaper.  

Final Thoughts:

 From this research, I can recognize that there are many biases made by reporter in the media. Reporters tend to make people believe what they believe. So, information covered by these reporter can be changed or incorrect. Therefore, people should have critical eyes when they accept information in the media.  

research 3

Source: 
The increasing importance of social media

My Topic:

People have to accept media critically.

What I hope to learn from this source:

 I want to find the graph that shows great influence of media on human. 

Notes:

Final Thoughts:

 According to this graph,  the importance of media increases significantly. It means that media is greatly influencing human behavior.  

research 2

Source:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11013-004-1067-5#page-1

__-Television, disordered eating, and young women in Fiji(Look inside)
http://www.kon.org/urc/v8/sanders.html

-The influence of media marketing on adolescent girls


My Topic:

People have to accept media critically. 

What I hope to learn from this source:

 I hope to learn the example that shows the problem caused by uncritical acceptance of media.    

Notes:

1. Impact of the introduction of television on Fijian adolescent girls



2. Women in Fiji accepted American drama uncritically. The American drama changed the values of Fiji women.  They traditionally thought that chubby woman is beautiful. However, after introducing American drama, they preferred thin western body type and started to think themselves as fat. This showed that women in Fiji lost their own culture because of uncritical attitude toward the media. 

3. Media’s Effect on Body Image

Final Thoughts:

This example shows that uncritical acceptance of media causes collapse of tradition and brings wrong result. Therefore, people should have critical and active attitude when they accept media. 

Week 3 - classical argument outline

1. The introduction, which warms up the audience, establishes goodwill and rapport with the readers, and announces the general theme or thesis of the argument.

 I will capture my audience's interest by using quotation. Then I will describe the problem: People are strongly influenced by media but they don't realize it. Then I will give examples of daily life that prove this problem. Then I will shift attention to why I describe this problem. It is because people are not aware of media's strong influence. I will end with the statement, "People should accept media critically"

2. The narration, which summarizes relevant background material, provides any information the audience needs to know about the environment and circumstances that produce the argument, and set up the stakes-what’s at risk in this question. In academic writing, this often takes the form of a literature review.

 First, I will show the graph I found. The graph is about the increasing importance of social media. With this graph, I will prove how important media is to people's behavior. Then I will show the study conducted by psychologist solomon Eliot Asch. I will relate this study with influence of media. Then I will give my argument, "That's why people should have critical eyes when they accept media."

3. The confirmation,which lays out in a logical order (usually strongest to weakest or most obvious to most subtle) the claims that support the thesis, providing evidence for each claim.

 I will start by suggesting information from the media is not always correct. Then I will give the reasons that I found. First, people tend to believe contents of information even though they are not true because of repetition of media. Second, people tend to believe media even though they are not true because the information is provided by experts or celebrities. Then, I will describe the danger of media. Media can make people loose their own culture. I will give the example of Fiji women. Then, I will describe the exaggeration of the media with specific example.  

4. The refutation and concession, which looks at opposing viewpoints to the writer’s claims, anticipating objections from the audience, and allowing as much of the opposing viewpoints as possible without weakening the thesis.

 I will give example of influence of media on marketing. Although advertisements in media have great impact on people to make them buy the product, a clear majority of Americans say social media have no effect at all their purchasing decisions(show graph). I will refute this common belief by showing advertising expenditures of Canada. 

5. The summation, which provides a strong conclusion, amplifying the force of the argument,  and showing the readers that this solution is the best at meeting the circumstances.

I will restate my previous points to remind my readers what's at stake. Then I will show what will happen if readers accept media uncritically: you will become a slave of media. Finally, I will end with giving my argument, "You should have critical eyes when you accept media"

Week 3 - Articulation

1) My argument 

  I want to argue that people should have critical eyes when they accept media. Nowadays, there are a lot of information and advertisements come from social media. We are exposed to these information and advertisements all the times because they are everywhere. So we tend to accept media thoughtlessly. However, all the contents of media are not always true. They can be exaggeration or misinformation. So, if we do not have critical eyes, we could encounter confusion and difficulties. 

2) How I found my argument 

 My first research question was, why people are easily influenced by media?. Whenever I watch television, I realize that I am easily affected by advertisements and information. In the absence of critical attitude toward media, we can be submissive to media. So, I want to argue that people should have critical eyes on media.  While researching, I found how media affect people. In the research(How The Media Influence Our Decisions), people believe information from social media because messages are repeated and repeated again. Repeated exposure over time to similar messages can make it easy for people to accept them as true messages, even when they know they are false. I think this research helped to support my argument because it make people think that they should not accept the information from media thoughtlessly.  
   

3) New research questions 

a)  Is there any research proves that people are easily influenced by media? 
b)  Is there any example that show person who has problem because he or she accept media uncritically? 
          I'm going to find appropriate examples that can support my argument!!!

4) Connections to the Harvard Sampler 

  This argument has connections to the Harvard Sampler. It is related to the human mind. When we watch media and accept the information, we use our brain. We can't accept messages of the media in the absence of brain. It is brain's work that processes all the information from the media. However, brain is not completely perfect. Therefore,  it can sometimes accept false messages as true messages. 

week 3 - research 1

Source:

How The Media Influence Our Decisions

http://www.decision-making-confidence.com/media-influence-our-decisions.html

My Topic:

We should have critical eyes on accepting mess media 

What I hope to learn from this source:

 I hope I can find the reason why media easily affect human. People are unconsciously influenced by media because of the characteristics of media. Then, what are specific characteristics of media?  The answer for this question can strongly support my argument.   

Notes:

1. Repetition: Repeated  messages makes people to easily accept them as true
2.  Use & misuse of experts: People usually think information provided by experts is credible. So, people who make contents of media misuse experts to benefit them. 

Final Thoughts:

 According to this research, I can recognize some characteristics of media. This can be strong support for my argument because these facts show why people are influenced by media thoughtlessly. Because of characteristics of the media, people easily think information provided by media is correct and credible. However, some information is not always true. Therefore, we should have critical eyes when we watch media.   When media constantly pushes something and people do not do research on their own they are going to follow what the majority of others are following and that usually ends up being whatever is promised by media.